The Moment I Said It
by Aviala Ordali
Summary: At the end of Season 2 of The Riches, the Malloys are found in a tangle of lies and greed. Amid the chaos of their biggest con, something aside from hope blossoms in Cael and Di Di. Forbidden feelings come to the surface and only truth can save the home.
1. Skaal Krush

**DISCLAIMER:** FX owns these characters and concepts even though they abandoned it early in its prime.

**NOTE: **I love _The Riches_ and definitely think the abrupt ending was not only uncalled for but also disappointing to the avid followers of this show. Anyone looking for a good little show; this is it. I'll be picking up a little after the final episode (Season 2, Episode 7) and delving into the topic of incest. In the setting of the show I don't think it's to unrealistic that this would arise and felt it was there in the undertones of the acting. Don't read it if you don't want to.

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"Di Di…come on!" muttered Sam through his small teeth, tugging on his sister's alarmingly short skirt. Her father's nose and forehead were bleeding profusely on the green felt of pool table and the large biker didn't seem anywhere near his finale.

Sam shoved a large wad of money in the back of his jeans and made a run for the door to start the car. As he pushed open the door to the crowded bar, he looked back at his sister before bolting for the parking lot.

Delilah Malloy stood frozen, beer bottle dangling dangerously from her fingertips, staring at the scene in front of her. The plan had been to make a clean sweep of the crowded, small-town bar while Wayne kicked some buffer asses at the pool tables. The night hadn't worked out quite as they had planned. The three of them just couldn't pull off the scams they used to with Cael during Dahlia's time behind bars and they were nowhere near as strong as a unit of five.

Di Di suddenly felt the eyes of no less than six men at the bar on her and observing the emotions she was evoking watching the middle aged Irishman being bludgeoned. She quickly tried to cover herself and flash them a gleaming smile but it was too late. They had caught on.

"Well, well, well…looks like our traveller scum has a little slut sidekick," a tall blonde in flannel laughed over the roar of the crowd.

"Well I can see why he'd keep her around," another grunted, closing the space between him and Di Di. Others whistled and hollered as a small gang formed a semi-circle around the slim brunette, backing her up into a corner near the door.

Self-consciously Di Di wrapped her milky arms around her stomach, only forcing the neckline of her top to droop lower. This caused another round of shouts and calls from the group of men ranging from near her age to that of her father.

"I…I don't know that man…I swear boys…how about another round, bartender?" she called weakly only to see the young woman's back turned to her. The two shared a lingering look of fear for a moment before she disappeared into the kitchen.

"How about you pay for your friend's mistakes one-on-one with me in my truck?" the blonde spoke lowly to Di Di, rough skin fingering the cross at her neck. Suddenly expertly close to the girl he tucked a chestnut ringlet behind her ear and whispered something in her ear. Her breath hitched and she pulled all her strength to slam the heel of her boot onto the man's foot and distanced herself from him as he let out a loud cry of pain.

Just as she watched the rage flash in his bright eyes and another man reach to his side, she felt strong hands grasp the bare skin above her leather skirt.

"Get your hands off me! What do you—oh," she exclaimed as she was whipped around to face her attacker. Before she could say anything more she felt warm lips enclose over her small mouth, the arms pulling her close before moving to cup her chin.

"Now, now Miss Delilah, seems like someone is in need of a little assistance," came a hasty hushed response enveloped in a think Irish brogue.

Di Di stood there, stunned, mouth hanging open as her savior pulled away, leaving a protective hand on her lower back as he turned to the group of men, his voice suddenly languid and rough.

"Joey…Joey Pontiff? Is that you?" he asked the one who had gotten too close for comfort with Di Di only moments before he had appeared out of nowhere.

"Yea? Who's askin'?" came the alpha-male automatic response.

"God damnit I haven't seen you in years! God, you home from State? Football scholarship, right?" he continued, taking a step forward in his heavy black boots. Running a hand through corn husk hair, the act continued.

"Shit…you have no idea who I am, do you? Lou…Lou Boudreaux? Our Mee Maws used to have us play during their little gossip hours?" he finished, holding a hand out for the man in front of him.

"Yea…Lou…sounds right. You dated the younger Benoit girl for a while, right?" he staggered forward, clasping the hand tight and patting the stranger on the back.

"Yea for a while…'till I met this one back here. Send her to pick up a couple six packs and she stays at the bar for hours!"

Di Di suddenly let an over-exaggerated giggle out, finally catching onto the plan. They had pulled it countless times, just not in this particular…manner.

Thirty minutes and a fifth of Jack later, Joey and his gang were passed out, one attempting to sing along to "Country Roads" on the radio.

Di Di shoved the last wallet in the shirt pocket of a snoring high school senior, snatching his fake along with a wad of kale.

"You ready to split, Di?" a warm body suddenly behind her and a firm grip on her forearm.

Inhaling deeply, Di Di nodded and leaned back only to feel his presence lacking. Whipping around she found herself alone, Wayne's blood stains still splayed across the green felt. Dragging her finger lightly across the sticky top of the bar, she breathed in deeply, closing her eyes briefly before slamming the double doors behind her.

The cool southern breeze rushed in her mouth as she called after the figure distancing itself with every step towards his car, "Cael…Cael, wait up!"

Turning around slowly, he shoved his hands in his pockets and stood to face her as he always did, with that half grin only reserved for her.

Catching up with him, her brown eyes were brimming with tears, her mouth shaking, attempting to make words. "Thank…thanks for saving our asses back there."

"Would've thought Da called it off long before any of that had to go down," he murmured, eyes resisting the urge to meet his sister's.

"He did…I ignored the warning. I knew those boys were the ones with the real koosh, though, and couldn't let them get off with being such jerks," she quipped back, her chapped lips shutting firmly after her last word.

"Yea, well…you always were one to carry it out no matter how far in the shitter we were," he responded roughly, glancing down before glancing away again.

"Don't be an asshole, Cael. You were gone…you left us…" she tried, the tears forming again. She silently cursed her hormones before attempting to regain her voice.

Suddenly he was holding her, his large hand on the back of her head, pressing her against his muscular chest, chin resting atop her brown locks. He let her sob into his t-shirt, tears turning the fabric dark as he closed his eyes and let a soothing sound escape his lips.

"I'm sorry," he barely muttered, "I thought it was what I needed. To be back with our people. I was wrong…" he finished, a tightening in his own throat beginning to form.

Pulling away she lifted a hand to his cheek, she forced his eyes to meet hers, "How did you find us?"

"Called Ma. She said she hadn't seen you guys in a week or so but knew in what direction you'd headed off. Figured you were just gathering funds in case the deal fell through," he told her honestly.

He had been speaking with her on and off, only hearing parts of the story. He knew something was wrong if his mother was begging him to reject their roots and come back to Eden Falls. Quinn had grown more interested in his life and in Cael every moment he spent with him and soon the young Malloy put two and two together.

Roseleen finally broke down and admitted that Quinn had sought her out to lure Cael to the camp to use as leverage against his real target; Wayne. While he had strong feelings for Rose, he couldn't deny the fact that he had been used. Being welcomed as royalty suddenly didn't seem as real anymore as he started to notice every stare and look from the community.

"Where's Sam? He didn't get hurt did he?" Di Di asked worriedly, glancing around for her father's car.

"No, no…I sent them off as soon as I got here. They went back to Eden Falls. Da was hurt pretty bad but Ma'll know what to do," he calmed her, leading her to the car parked nearest them.

Sliding in the passenger seat, Di Di breathed in the comforting smell of stale cigarettes; one that always reminded her of Cael. Reaching over, she grabbed his hand as he pulled out onto the dirt road, the clock ticking over to 2:00AM.

"We haven't used the hitched trick in a while…" she trailed off, stroking the small scar on his knuckle absently with her thumb.

"You know Ma always felt uncomfortable with us playin' that card," he responded, his new affected accent still foreign to her ears.

"I know…" she replied almost silently, pulling her eyes toward the windshield and focusing on the night sky.

"I'm never going to leave you again Di, I'm here now," he told her firmly, squeezing her hand tightly before re-adjusting his hand to lace their fingers together.

Di Di managed a smile as a silent sob escaped her lips in the darkness of the stolen car, feeling suddenly more at home than she ever had in her life. As they sped back to the life of the Riches, each Malloy sibling wondered if things would ever be the same.


	2. Satisfy

**NOTE: **I still love The Riches. FX owns these characters and concepts even though they abandoned it early in its prime.

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"I think we should just hit it…get the hell out of here," Cael's irritated voice breaking the silence in the tense kitchen.

"No, Cael. No. Things have gotten worse since you left. If I leave now…everything will go to shit. And the people we are dealing with will not stop until they find me," Wayne spoke firmly as he lifted the bag of peas from in front of his damaged face. How he was going to explain this at work; he had no idea.

Sam was working on the wound on his father's arm, dabbing it lightly with an alcohol soaked cotton ball, a dozen filthy ones scattered on the marble counter next to him.

Dahlia wrung her hands violently, fear and anger in her eyes. She hadn't stepped foot in this house in weeks, only observing from outside. She had been living her double life since the whirlwind had begun. By day she had to be Cherien Rich at Panco and by night be ex-con Dahlia Malloy chopping up fish; all while trying not to further seduce any parole officers. Or let her husband get killed.

"Why don't we just sleep on it…Cael's had a long drive and we've been on the road with Dad this whole week," Di Di chimed in, her voice shaking as she poured her parents each a glass of water from the fridge. The thin yellow cotton that hung on her slim frame slid down her shoulder as she leaned over to slide the glass to her father and she watched Cael's eyes watch her. Adjusting her t shirt, she quickly turned to her mother, kissing her on the cheek and then circling the large island to kiss her father as well.

Taking Sam by the hand, she led him upstairs, only pausing to look back at Cael again, pain in her eyes.

"I'm sorry that you had to come back Cael, this is my fault…" Wayne began, taking a large sip of the water.

"No, Da, what's between you and Quinn should be in the past. The fact that he was using me to get to you proves I never should have left here in the first place," he replied just on the end of his father's words, the new accent never faltering.

"I close my eyes and I hear my great uncle in your voice, Cael," Dahlia spoke slowly to him. "I suppose you picked that up from Quinn?"

"It was hard not to…he made me ashamed of not knowing where I came from," Cael responded, suddenly embarrassed that his family hardly recognized him anymore.

He had changed greatly during his time at the camp. His hair was slightly longer and his face had grown leaner and rougher. Stubble shadowed his jaw line and from his neck all the way to his chin. His arms and chest were immensely strong and his skin was darker from the constant sun. A dark leather cord clenched his wrist tightly, a single silver charm holding it in place. He reached out a strong hand to pull his mother into a hug before nodding at his father and turning towards the stairs.

"They are good kids, Wayne. I just don't want them to get hurt," Dahlia murmured absently under her breath as Cael left the kitchen.

"Dahl, I'm sorry…I just thought we could use the cash in case this deal fall through. Hugh's been hard on me and everything's just so…" Wayne tried, not being able to quite find the words.

"I've been working. And I have a place too," she broke suddenly, tears filling her eyes as she stepped toward her husband, pulling the make shift ice pack from his face. His eyes held a thousand questions and she suddenly regretted speaking again.

"I know…I know…I shouldn't lie to you. And I didn't want to, really. I wanted to be honest for once and I had spoken to someone at AA and he said that this parole officer was cool and understanding…" she stumbled along, moving her hands limply as she spoke, voice shaking.

Wayne cut her off with a kiss, pulling her face close to his bruised one. Pulling back slowly he gave her a small smile, tears streaming down the love of his life's face.

"I had to do something for myself; for Dahlia Malloy…And for once not for this Cherien Rich bitch. I needed to be me again," she spoke through quiet sobs, mascara running down her freckled cheeks.

Wayne winced slightly as he pulled his wife close to his chest, his arms throbbing in pain, spots of blood spreading out and sinking into the fabric of her light sundress. A soothing sound escaped his lips and to her ear as he slowly rubbed her back with his palms.

"We're together now; all of us are home. We can just take this one step at a time. Tomorrow is a new day," he finished, letting Dahlia cry into his torn shirt in the dim lights of their upscale kitchen.

...

Humming softly, Di Di pulled her dark hair from the loose pony and shook out her thick Irish curls. Her face was soft and fresh; newly scrubbed as she had attempted to get every bit of heavy eyeliner out of the creases of her big eyes and the dark lip color off the rosy flesh above her chin. She touched the cross at her neck, letting her fingers rest at the soft skin below it, staring at her own face in the mirror.

In her own eyes she could see the pain and torment, even when she lifted the corners of her lips into a smile. Suddenly she caught another figure in the glass but didn't turn to face the new presence in her spacious room. Pulling her hand to her hair she nervously ran her long fingers through the ringlets. She felt warm hands on her sides and a scratchy chin on her exposed shoulder.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall…" came Cael's rough voice, a smile tugging at his lips. He smelled of fresh smoke, as if he'd just come inside from sitting by the pool. She knew he had carelessly flicked the butt into the chlorinated water only to guiltily fish it out seconds later.

"The mirror probably doesn't recognize me…" she murmured absently, her lips barely parting to emit the soft tones. "Or you…" she added, turning her face in the slightest, bringing them dangerously close. Cael slowly brought his lips to meet her milky neck, barely brushing them there before leaving to sit on her bed. Playing with the ends of her duvet, he sat silently, eyes forced downwards.

Di Di clasped her eyes shut for a second before opening them again, adjusting her shirt and tugging on the short pajama shorts she currently sported. She moved to her closet, flicking through the clothes to lay her uniform out for the next day. It was the end of Spring Break which meant tomorrow was another ordinary day for Di Di Rich. But Delilah Malloy had so many more things on her mind than Ike and homework. She took longer than usual to move the clothes to the antique chair she normally laid them out on and Cael noticed.

"I'm sorry…I know I'm different. I know I sound different and look different and hell, I know I act different. But I've changed, Di," he told her firmly, looking up at his sister's back.

"Shit, Cael," Di Di muttered, turning to face him. "I know you needed to go, okay? We aren't the same. You never wanted this life. But don't make me feel like I have to hate what we have had a chance to be…" she choked out, the veins in her neck bulging slightly as she gulped strongly. Unbeknownst to her, tears were now streaming down her clean face, dripping onto the pale material on her torso.

Suddenly his hand was on her cheek, thumbing away the tears as he used to when they were kids. She closed her eyes lightly and let her eyelashes catch the last of her tears before opening them slowly again to meet her brother's.

"Di, I'm here now. And I never hated you because of all this. You will do something great someday, I know you will," he told her softly, eyes locked on hers. As he pulled her close to his chest she smiled into his leather jacket, letting her last tears fall onto the thick stitching on the shoulder.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear and squeezed him tight as he pulled his strong arms around her shoulders.

Smiling widely he spoke softly into her hair, "And I love you."


	3. Hang Me Up To Dry

**NOTE:** Thank you so much for the positive support from those who have read this story. I really appreciate the reviews of quality that I have received as opposed to a massive quantity. I'm aware that not many people still care about the series but I am continuing this fic for a sense of closure for myself and those other people who were shocked at the abrupt ending of the series. Cheers!

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The Louisiana sun burned hotly through the windshield as Wayne's car rolled up in front of Rosemere. Sam and Cael both got out of the car as soon as their father put the expensive car in park. Di Di remained motionless in the passenger seat, eyes not moving from her notebook in her lap. She had an English test today. All the words on her page were muddled together; swimming in circles to form lines and lines of gibberish. She had tossed and turned in her sleep the night before, not able to close her eyes.

"You alright, Di?" came her father's worried voice. He knew his only daughter took a lot of the family's problems onto her own shoulders and carried an emotional burden with her constantly. He reached out to touch the shoulder of her white polo lightly; the sudden contact making her jerk.

"What? Yea…I'm fine, Dad…Have a good day…" she muttered before sliding out of the car. She pulled her satchel backpack from the floor of the car and onto her shoulder before heading swiftly up the elegant walk to the large front doors of the school.

…

The bell buzzed loudly in her ear signaling the end of the period and the last scrambling pen strokes of her peers against their test booklets. Di Di hadn't written a single word, let alone two essays in her blue book. As her classmates exited, their chatter buzzing in her ears, she remained in her chair.

Her mind should have been swimming with Edith Wharton's elegant characters or the suspenseful, perfectly placed words of Richard Matheson. Instead all she could think of was that night in the car, driving away from the bar. The fact that Cael was back. The fact that her whole world had changed; again.

Fiddling with her necklace she rose to her feet and met her teacher at his desk, mumbling about family problems and hard times at home, gently placing her clean test sheet and booklet on his desk. He nodded knowingly and ushered Di Di out, suggested a trip to the counselor's office, all the while remarking how he would hardly let this slide with any other student but her. Because Di Di Rich was a star student. Di Di Rich didn't fail tests and certainly didn't hand one back blank. She had been on the top of the world until Cael had left.

The thing about the Malloys is that they only work completely when the five of them are united. When Dahlia had been in prison they had managed to scrape by. But it was only because they had to. Di Di firmly believed that the only way they had been able to stay so long in Edenfalls was because they worked best together. Without Cael and Dahlia, their work had grown sloppy. Wayne, Sam and Di Di were forced to resort to cleaning the pockets of drunken assholes and bimbos at local bars all around the state. Wayne was getting deeper and deeper into shit at Panco and even Sam had stopped losing the will to fight for their new identity. Cael was always the rock while Dahlia brought the heart. They reminded the others of what it truly means to be a traveller.

The second bell sounded and Di Di realized she was suddenly alone in the echoic halls of the high school wing. She walked slowly to her locker, opened it and placed her notebook inside, staring blankly at her other books. Closing the metal door slowly she jumped at the sight of her brother next to her, flicking idly through his phone as if waiting for her to speak.

"Why aren't you in class? You know how much it took Dad to get you back in here?" she asked him seriously. Her brother had taken the heat for the incident and then gone missing for months. Wayne had managed to convince the school board that Cael had been in a juvenile correctional facility during that time and that he was a changed young man. A hefty donation from the Riches in the name of Panco didn't hurt the situation either.

"Oh, lighten up Di. They never work on anything the day after the break," his new accent still bleeding into his words. His smile was broad was he slid his phone into his back pocket. "Want to go for a ride? " he added, shaking the keys to Brent's Mercedes in her face.

"Brent gave you his car?" Di Di scoffed, applying chapstick to her lips and checking the time on her watch. "Well it is already one and I only have gym and French left," she reasoned, shrugging her backpack onto her shoulder. The day was already a waste after the English test. At least now she would have time to study for her scheduled make-up tomorrow.

Cael smiled and held out a strong hand to his sister, practically dragging her out into the hot parking lot. He beeped the car and slid into the driver's seat, rolling down the windows to let the trapped heat escape.

"How exactly is Brent going to get home?" Di Di asked suspiciously as she fiddled with the radio.

"He's not. His family is staying an extra week in Costa Rica. I dropped the car here last night so Da wouldn't see," he explained easily, turning the dial on the radio to let the rock music blare out the open windows.

Di Di quickly adjusted it, giving her brother a warning look. "Well I suppose we can swing by later and get Sam. It will save Mom the trip." Their father had been staying late at the office for a while now. Sometimes Di Di didn't see him till the next morning when he quietly dropped them off at school. Things were getting worse and worse at Panco and it seemed like their time in Edenfalls was drawing to an end.

Cael pulled onto the highway and pushed the little car as fast as it would go, towering over the speed limit. Di Di placed a hand softly on her brother's, as if to say 'This isn't our car so if we get pulled over, you have to talk your way out of it'. He reduced his speed by ten and soon they were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by open land, the coast in sight. He pulled off a numbered exit and parked on the gritty, light gray gravel. Di Di shuddered to think what kind of fit Brent would have if he saw the current location of his car.

They sat together on a large rock down near the water. The dark stone burned their palms as they leaned back and listened to the soft sound of the water and the gulls calling out to each other as they circled above the water. Di Di closed her eyes and let the sun warm her bare legs and arms, wiggling her toes out of her flats.

"How much longer do you think we will stay here?" Cael asked simply, lighting a cigarette with a pack of matches he had found in Brent's car. He blew a perfect ring away from his sister, angling his body so the smoke wouldn't blow towards her.

"In Edenfalls? Depends what happens at work with Dad," Di Di responded, opening her eyes. "We won't have much time to prepare if our cover is blown," she added somberly. She didn't want to leave their life here. Picking up and starting again would just be too hard. But she knew if that's what it came to to protect her family, she would support them no matter what.

Then it hit her. Maybe Cael thought she would stay behind if the family ever had to leave. She looked over to her brother who was nervously chain-smoking. Was this what he was worried about? That his leaving had somehow made the rest of the family long to split up?

Reaching out, Di Di touched her brother's free hand gently, "I would never stay behind if Mom and Dad decided we needed to leave," she told him with assurance.

Cael looked at her in a way he hadn't since he'd been back. He had put up this wall of strength and maturity. Now she saw her old brother. Her best friend. The innocence and fear that he used to show whenever the family would go through tough times. Especially before Sam was born. He was afraid and she could see it even with his newfound guard up.

"I…I should have never left…to do that…to leave you and Sam like that…to set that example for him…" he struggled, and as he did so she could see the tears in his eyes. She didn't know he had struggled so much with this decision.

Di Di leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek and pulled away as he slid his lips over hers. "Cael…" she warned. Her eyes were shut lightly and fluttered open to look him in the eye.

Di Di Rich looked down at her watch and saw it was nearly four. Their brother would be done with French club and was waiting. They rose, headed back to the car and sat in silence for the ride, letting the music fill the empty space.

Meanwhile, Di Di Malloy watched out the window, thinking of what dangerously could have been on the rocky levee with a stolen car and unspoken feelings.


End file.
